No Expectations Book 1: The Sorceror's Stone
by Isabelle'Potter123
Summary: What if Harry had been way more like Lily? Well what if he was also half elf? Harry/Susan   This is a Isabelle Potter & Tymes24 story!
1. Chapter 1

Kids are supposed to rely on their elders, correct? They are supposed to run to an adult they trust if an emergency should occur, right?

So what happens when you don't have an adult you trust? Who do you run to when you don't have an adult who actually cares?

That's the situation that Harry was in. No, there was no emergency however Harry didn't have an adult he could talk to or trust even if there was one. He had no one. Except maybe his Aunt Petunia, but they both knew that she would never be able to fully explain the odd things that happened to him and around him.

Harry had learned that he must rely on himself and himself alone, in order to live a happy life, or at least a halfway decent one. Harry had never dared hoped that he'd have a happy life, if he could even call what he did 'living.'

Harry understood the world around him better than some people thrice his age. He was perceptive and his instincts were always dead on and had saved his skin on more than one occasion.

The thing was that Harry sometimes thought in pictures and images instead of words. He could recall an image of something or someone before he could find the words to describe it. This didn't mean Harry was slow, no; in fact Harry was in third place in his class rankings. It just meant that Harry would rather sit in a quiet place and think rather than talk to someone.

That's what Harry was doing now actually. He was sitting in the warm and misty clearing in the woods that grew along the southern border of Surrey. It was midsummer and it was raining so lightly, that it was simply mist. It was a peaceful yet thick forest filled with animals, though not many were dangerous.

Harry was out there because for some strange reason, Harry had always felt in tune with himself and the wilderness. Out in the city, Harry felt small and self-conscious, but in the forest, Harry felt like he could truly be himself there, so he ventured there whenever he could get away from his Uncle and cousin.

Right now, Harry leaned against the huge trunk of a rather tall tree that towered over him, its canopy blocking the sun and shading him nicely. He was wearing khaki shorts, a black t-shirt, and black trainers. His dark red hair looked almost black in the shade yet Harry knew that if he shifted so his head was in the sunlight, it would show that his hair was really a deep blood red, just like his mum's had been.

Harry did nothing as a breeze blew around him, blowing his already wild hair in a wave around his face. He didn't shift as he heard the bushes rustle or the birds cawing, he simply laid there, frighteningly still. In fact, if you weren't actually checking him for a pulse, you would think that he was dead. His slightly tanned face was so very peaceful; he could also pass for sleeping.

Though Harry wasn't asleep, in fact, he was wide awake, yet he was in something of a meditative state. It was something that he seemed to slip into if he was extremely comfortable and still for a long time.

Though it did help him organize his every thought and memory, as well as clear his mind. As his skin made contact with the rough bark of the tree trunk, Harry could feel something akin to a web of life.

In his mind's eye, he could see a web connecting from his skin and spreading throughout the entire forest, almost like it was mapping every single living thing in the forest. The thing that frustrated Harry was that practically everything was a living thing in the forest so the web intersected and overlapped so many times, it was all just a big blob.

Harry took a deep breath as the breeze picked up and he tucked a blowing strand of dark red hair behind his ears, which oddly enough, pointed slightly at the tip, something that had always alarmed his relatives.

Harry's senses were as sharp as an animal's so he could clearly hear his aunt yelling for him at the edge of the forest, even though he was about a mile into the forest. His Aunt Petunia yelled for him to come back home every time he ventured into the forest right before his uncle came home, knowing that Uncle Vernon never condoned 'Nature Loving Freaks', which is one of the things he called Harry.

Harry sighed and gracefully stood up; he touched his fingertips to the bark one more time and then took off through the trees. Another thing that had developed in Harry over time was his wonderful (in his opinion) ability to run abnormally fast and not get tired. Because of making use of this talent, Harry was in excellent physical shape and had gained a slight tan over the summer.

Harry had covered that mile to the edge of the forest in two and a half minutes flat. He slowed and came to a brisk walk as he caught sight of his Aunt, wringing her hands into her bright white apron, something she did whenever Uncle Vernon was nearing home.

Harry walked up to her and let her take her soft hands in his, and they walked quickly back to the house. There house, Number Four of Privet Drive, was only a five minute walk to the edge of the forest so they made it back to the house in plenty of time.

As Petunia led Harry into the kitchen she attempted to talk to him.

"So Harry dear, did you have fun in the forest today? Was it peaceful?" She asked as she quickly made him two ham and cheese sandwiches that he could eat before Vernon tried to deny him a meal.

Harry simply nodded and accepted the sandwiches. This was a normal occurrence in their house. Harry hardly talked at all, except for when he had to. Aunt Petunia didn't mind but Uncle Vernon and Dudley just thought it made him more of a freak.

Also, things were more different than anyone outside the Dursley house suspected it would be once Harry had been left with them. Vernon had immediately and loudly protesting taking Harry in but Petunia had worn him down with her arguments.

Over the years, Vernon had tried to starve, belittle, even beat Harry, and even tried to make him live in the cupboard under the stairs and only wear Dudley's cast offs, yet Aunt Petunia had fiercely set him straight on how they were going to treat _her _nephew while he lived with them.

As a result, Harry was allowed to eat when Vernon wasn't home. He was to ignore every single thing his uncle and cousin said to him. He was to stay outside or avoid his Uncle when he was home. And he got to live in the spare bedroom upstairs. He even got new clothes that fit him, though his aunt only bought him clothes, never his uncle.

In an attempt to make Harry feel unwelcome, over the years Vernon had showered Dudley with anything and everything the boy wanted. Instead of feeling unwelcome, Harry felt bad for Dudley. Dudley was now extremely spoiled and obese, as well as a friendless bully.

Harry tensed unnoticeably as he heard his Uncles car coming around the corner and up the street, eventually pulling into the driveway. He quickly hugged his aunt before taking off up the stairs as his uncle walked up to the front door.

As Vernon unlocked and opened the door, Harry had already closed and locked his door and lied on his bed. He stared up at the, of course, forest green ceiling that matched the walls in his room.

In an attempt to be fair after Vernon had hired someone to paint Dudley's room, Harry and Aunt Petunia had painted Harry's room forest green to give it a slight resemblance to the forest that Harry loved so dearly.

Harry laid there for hours, listening to the sounds of the family interacting downstairs. He never once wished that his Uncle and Cousin would accept him, he never hoped that someday another relative would come to take him away. He did, however, send a prayer up to his parents that they were happy wherever they were up in heaven.

And as he fell asleep that night, Harry felt a breeze blow through the window and if he strained his sharp ears, he could almost hear the laughter of his parents that he vaguely remembered in the wind.

_Three Years Later_

Unsurprisingly, nothing had changed on Privet Drive except for Harry himself. He had grown taller and even more mature. He talked a whole lot more these days but only to his aunt; he never talked around his Uncle, cousin, or people he didn't really know.

His hair seemed to glow a darker red over the past three years and his eyes also seemed to glow greener. Harry felt some kind of energy grow stronger within him as well.

Harry still went into the forest as much as he could, he still ran fast and listened rather than talked, and he still sent a prayer up to his parents every night before he went to sleep.

Now though, as they grew older, Dudley seemed to resent Harry even more than he used to. He now chased after Harry, though he never even came close to catching him, even with his whole gang of friends chasing after him.

Harry had run from Dudley and his gang twice before giving up on that and simply confronting them. They all tried to hit him at once and Harry did something that surprised them all. He dodged every fist.

Even though it was six on one, Harry was never even scratched once. He ducked and dodged every single blow, never even raising a hand to strike back. Eventually, all of the boys had tired and lied on the grass panting while Harry strolled away, unharmed and smirking.

Yes, Harry had developed something of a sarcastic humor over the years as well as a new fashion sense. He still looked the same though now Harry favored dark colors such as dark red, green, black, grey, and sometimes silver.

Harry now preferred skinny jeans and a tight t-shirt when the weather allowed it, when it was a steaming hot day he wore shorts and a t-shirt though. Harry had gotten three piercings in his left ear and one in his tongue; that one had hurt the worst but it was well worth it in Harry's opinion. Aunt Petunia had taken him to get them, secretly of course. And unless Harry brushed back his hair, you would never see the ones in his ear.

Today, Harry was wearing black basketball shorts, a dark red t-shirt with the band name 'Sleeping with Sirens' on it. He was wearing black and red Nike trainers and he was walking towards the kitchen.

As he entered, he hid a smirk as Vernon's face grew red with barely suppressed anger. He knew that his Uncle hated the way he dressed; he said it was too wild and casual, which is why he dressed the way he did anyway, and also it was very comfortable.

Dudley envied him for being able to dress how he wanted and Aunt Petunia thought he looked cute and teased him mercilessly about finding a girlfriend, which, to his horror, made him blush brightly.

"Good morning Aunt Petunia, Dudley, Vernon." Harry said. He made himself a nice sized plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs and dug in; dutifully ignoring the deeper shade of red Vernon's skin was turning.

'Wow, if it gets any darker it'll match my hair.' Harry thought to himself with a smirk. He was careful to hide his teeth though, it freaked out his Uncle because his canine teeth were slightly longer than they should be, and a bit pointier but not by much.

"Boy, get the mail!" Vernon finally barked. His face seemed to lose some of its redness as he let out those rudely spoken words. Harry, however, continued to ignore Vernon in favor of continuing his breakfast.

Years ago, Harry had agreed with his Aunt to never answer to anything other than his name when it came to his Uncle and Cousin, or anyone who tried to disrespect him. Whenever Vernon called Harry 'Boy' or 'Freak', Harry simply ignored him until Vernon said his real name.

It seemed that today his Uncle was trying to be stubborn and refused to say his name. For a full five minutes, the kitchen was silent except for the sounds of chewing and forks scraping against their plates.

Finally, Vernon broke and bit out, "Bo- _Harry, _get the mail, pl- pl- please?" Harry once again hid a smirk as he could tell that it was physically painful for his Uncle to say please to him.

Harry stood up from his chair and placed his plate in the sink, and walked down the hallway. At the front door, Harry picked up the pile of mail and shuffled through it before finding a letter bearing his name at the bottom of the pile.

He stuck that in his pocket and walked back into the kitchen. Harry handed Vernon the remaining pile of mail, he gave his aunt a swift peck on the cheek and gave her a meaningful look before walking out of the kitchen again.

This time, Harry left the house and looked to his left and right before taking off through the backyards of their neighbors. He expertly leaped over high fences and sprinted full out towards the forest.

Harry didn't break his pace as he raced through the forest and before he knew it, he was settling down in his well-worn spot in the clearing that he loved so dearly.

He steadily opened the envelope and pulled out the three sheets of paper within. The first piece of what was obviously parchment appeared to be a letter, the second was a list, and the third was simply a short note.

Harry looked at the first parchment and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizar_ds)_

Dear Harry J. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry stared down at the letter with a smile. "So Aunt Petunia was telling the truth, about all of it, then that means…" Harry trailed off. He knew exactly what it meant. It meant that his parents had been murdered, not that car crash crap his Uncle had tried to feed him. It meant that he was really famous, people would look up to him, cherish him, people would try to use him, and people would try to manipulate him.

"Why can't I continue how I was? I'm a good student, I respect my elders except for Vernon, I do my homework and the few chores that I have, so what did I do to deserve this?" Harry asked to no one in particular.

Some people might think it'd be a rush and adventure to be famous and, according to Aunt Petunia, rich but to Harry it was just a burden he didn't want. He didn't want to have to wonder who his real friends were and who was trying to manipulate and use him for his fame and fortune. Suddenly Harry's new life as a wizard had just gotten more complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

Whoa! Two chapters in one day, that's pretty good for me so yay! I'll try to update often and I'll be focused on this story though I may post the beginnings of another story, more as a test run for it. Enjoy the chapter and PM me or review with any questions or concerns!

(Quick-Note- I don't know if this is true but in my story Trainers (English) and Sneakers (American) are the same thing, if they aren't please review or PM me and tell me! Thanks.)

Chapter Two

Harry set down the letter on the soft grass and turned to the list, it read: HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

By Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic_

_By Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory _

_By Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

_By Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

_By Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions_

_By Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

_By Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

_By Quentin Trimble_

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

"So it's simply a list of school supplies that I'll need, I wonder where I'm going to buy this stuff. And I'm sure I'll need more than three robes, I'll just get a full wardrobe." Harry muttered to himself.

His question was answered as he read the short note:

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I must apologize for the late letter as we had a bit of difficulty finding your exact area. Now normally, we would send a Professor from the school to explain about the world of magic but we have reason to believe that someone has already explained enough to you. Also, all of our teachers are a bit busy at the moment so I will simply write down instructions on how to get to Diagon Alley, the wizarding shopping center. I dare say that you'll need an owl to correspond with your family or any friends you make in the magical world. _

_Good Luck,_

_Headmaster Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore_

Harry lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the less than professional letter his new Headmaster had sent him but shrugged it off and read the directions to Diagon Alley. They were pretty straight forward and easy to understand but all Harry needed was a picture of it to be able to get there. Luckily for him, Dumbledore had included a picture of the pub the Leaky Cauldron so that Harry would recognize it.

Harry stuffed the parchments back into the envelope and put it back into his pocket before standing up and brushing himself off. He took a calming breath and once again took off through the forest.

The run back to Number Four seemed shorter than before but that could be because Harry was running full of energy instead of an empty stomach. He slowed to a jog as he exited the forest and jogged down the block back home.

As he entered the house he ignored his Uncle in the living room and headed straight for the kitchen. Inside he predictably found his Aunt sitting at the table looking through a fashion magazine and sipping a glass of iced tea.

He pulled out the Hogwarts envelope and held it up; Aunt Petunia caught sight of it and sighed. She stood up and hugged Harry tightly for a minute before kissing his head and holding him at arm's length.

Harry could see in her eyes that nothing had changed, he was still her favorite and only nephew and she was still his loving and caring aunt, nothing had changed. Harry once again pecked Aunt Petunia on the cheek and then headed upstairs to change clothes.

He threw on black skinny jeans and a black belt; he replaced his Sleeping with Sirens t-shirt with a tight red Pierce the Veil band tee. Harry put his red and black Nike trainers back on and replaced his diamond earrings with obsidian ones. He looked in the full length mirror on the back of his door and ran his fingers through his dark red hair that he loved the most about his appearance.

"Man, I am one sexy beast!" Harry murmured to himself with a smirk. His hair looked ruffled in an I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-I'm-still-hotter-than-you kind of way. Harry never bragged about himself or spent hours in front of a mirror but he was definitely confident in his abilities to get a girlfriend if he wanted one.

Harry didn't even bother to leave his room; he simply cleared his mind and focused on the image of the outside of the Leaky Cauldron. He could feel a familiar tingling rushing up from his toes until it reached his scalp.

'3… 2… 1…' right on time, Harry disappeared with only a small ripple through the air and appeared in front of the pub. Harry looked around and saw that no one had seen his arrival except for a child on the other side of the street. Harry smiled and winked at the kid before entering the pub before the kid could tell his oblivious mother.

It was dark and his keen eyes could see the swirling dust mites in the air. He focused himself and walked up to the cheerful looking fellow behind the bar.

"Hello sir, could you let me into the alley?" Harry asked politely. He subconsciously brushed his fingers through his hair, and didn't realize the significance of his move until the bartender gasped.

"Bless my soul, its Har," The bartender began. His words were abruptly halted as Harry rudely stuck his hand over the man's mouth and shook his head with a stern glare. Surprisingly the man looked chastised. Harry slowly took his hands off of the man's mouth and let his hand fall to his side.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I got a bit excited. I won't mention _it. _Just follow me and I'll show you to the Alley. My name is Tom by the way." As they walked toward the back door, Harry couldn't help but notice that every eye in the pub was on them but no one knew who he was yet.

Harry studied Tom and the brick wall between them and Diagon Alley intensely. He could feel the magic coming from the brick wall and leaking through it so it was definitely the right place. He memorized and filed away the pattern of bricks that Tom had tapped.

Harry bid Tom a good day and stepped through the newly revealed archway into Diagon Alley for the first time and he instantly felt like he had made a huge mistake.

Everything looked so… old fashioned and dull. Sure, there bright colors and crowds of people bustling about but everything looked as though it was still stuck in the Middle Ages. Harry sighed to himself and got on with his shopping.

Thanks to the directions Headmaster Dumbledore had given him, Harry found Gringotts rather quickly. He returned the bow the Guard-Goblin had given him and entered the bank.

Harry didn't expect there to be so many goblins but he hid his shock rather nicely. He noticed the disgusted looks he was getting from a rather stuck-up looking blond man at his muggle clothes; Aunt Petunia had taught him that term and had explained why he would get those kinds of looks.

Harry looked at the man seriously for a second before smirking and turning away. In his peripheral vision he could see the indignant expression upon the man's face. It was all Harry could do to not laugh.

"How may I help you, Mr. …" The goblin teller asked. Harry turned back to the goblin and said, "Potter, my name is Harry Potter and I'd like to get some money from my Trust Vault please." Aunt Petunia had told him about that as well, apparently his mother had informed her about his vaults in case something happened to her and Harry's dad.

"You are aware of your others vaults, correct?" the goblin asked.

"Yes sir, I was informed by my current guardian. I just need some money for my Hogwarts supplies please." Harry replied.

"Very well Mr. Potter, follow me and I shall take you to your Trust Vault." Harry followed the small goblin down a short narrow hallway until they came to the beginnings of a track of some sort.

Harry could hear a rattling sound coming from far down the track and about two minutes later a rickety looking cart came to a stop in front of them. Harry stared at the goblin incredulously. They honestly expected him to ride that death trap to his vault?

"Isn't there a way to get money without going down to my vault?" Harry asked hurriedly. The goblin grinned, which was a scary sight, and said, "There is a Gringotts credit card that works in both worlds however you would have to go down to your vault to get it anyway, so climb in Mr. Potter."

"You are enjoying this way too much." Harry muttered. He shivered as he heard the goblin chuckle. Harry had expected to fall to his death within the first few seconds after they had sped down the tracks but after relaxing, Harry loved the speed and the way the wind whipped through his hair, it was almost like flying!

Harry couldn't resist throwing his hands in the air and yelling, "Woohoo!" at the top of his lungs. The goblin beside him simply shook his head and muttered, "Humans," under his breath.

The ride was over quicker than Harry would've like but he got out from the cart and stood back as the goblin pulled out a little golden key from a glowing pouch on his hip.

"This is the only key to your Trust Vault, anyone with it will be able to open your vault so be careful with it Mr. Potter." The goblin said seriously. Harry nodded quickly and after the goblin opened his vault, he walked in.

Harry was immediately blown away by the sheer amount of gold coins in this vault, and this was just his Trust Vault! Harry simply had to run around the vault and jump into piles of money.

After he was finished giving into his childish urge, Harry looked around and saw a few things in the back of the vault that wasn't money. There was a glossy black trunk, a long flat box on top of that, a small square box, and a silver locket with a ruby in its center lay across the top of the trunk.

Harry slowly picked up the small box first and opened it. He picked up the folded letter inside and saw the fancy and obviously expensive ring underneath. Harry set the box back down and unfolded the letter, he was hit with a scent like chocolate and lightning. He didn't know how lightning smelt but he imagined it smelt like what he smelled now.

He read:

_**Dear My Little Boy,**_

_**By the time you are reading this, you probably aren't a little boy anymore but you'll always be my little boy. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm your mother, Lily Anne Evans-Potter. **_

_**Hopefully, your dad, James Charlus Potter, is reading this over your shoulder but if what I feared came to pass, then we are both gone. Harry let me tell you that your father and I love you more than we love life, even if we are gone. And we are sorry that we had to leave you so soon. Never forget that, ever. **_

_**We were the happiest people in the world when you were born Harry; you brought life and love to our lives in a dark time. You were what we were fighting against the dark side for. **_

_**Now, the ring that was under this note is the Heir Ring to the House of Potter. Wearing that signifies that you're Heir Potter and when you turn fifteen, you'll be Lord Potter.**_

_**There should be a trunk in this vault as well, in that trunk are some photo albums of your father, his friends, and I along with pictures of you as a baby. Cherish it always Harry.**_

_**Also, in the trunk should be all of our old books and some things we thought you should know. Be very careful with these belongings Harry.**_

_**I hope that my sister Petunia is taking good care of you and if she is then tell her I said thank you and I love her, and give her the box in the trunk. Know that your dad and I love you dearly and we'll be watching over you from Heaven. Stay safe and if you're anything like your father, stay out of trouble!**_

_**Love**_

_**Mum**_

Harry was teary eyed by the time he had finished the letter and he sent up a quick prayer to his parents before placing the letter in his jeans pocket. Harry picked up the ring box again and studied the ring.

It was obviously made for a boy; it was silver with a little design on a large blood red ruby that was surrounded by little diamonds. The design was a silver phoenix with his wings spread and his talons out, ready for battle etched into the surface of the ruby.

Harry thought it looked rather cool and slid it onto his right ring. Instantly, it shrunk a little to fit his finger perfectly and the ruby glowed brightly for a second before settling down. If Harry focused on the ring he could feel a slight hum coming from it.

Harry placed the small box on a nearby pile of gold and turned his attention to the silver locket. It had a blood red ruby on its center with the same silver design as the ring. Harry put it on and the locket rest against his chest, right next to his heart, instead of being cold though, it was warm.

Harry opened the locket and inside was two pictures. The one on the left was obviously of his mother and father holding a baby, which was him. They were all smiling and waving in the picture. The picture on the left was of five people. His mother and father, they were holding him again. On either side of them were a tall dark haired man and a tall sandy haired man. They were also all smiling and waving in the picture.

Harry had a feeling that he should recognize these two men but he couldn't recall their names. He closed the locket and tucked it into his shirt. Next, Harry picked up the long flat box and opened it. Inside was what Harry assumed was a wand. It was obsidian, smooth and cool to the touch; it had a small inscription on the handle that read: Potter.

There was a letter tucked into the side that had a different handwriting than his mother's. It read:

_Dear Son,_

_I'm sure your mother has told you this but we love you more than life itself and we will be proud of the man you become because we know that you'll be the best person you can be. This wand was handcrafted by the very first wand-maker of the world, back before even Merlin was born._

_Apparently, our ancestor, Octavus Potter had saved the wand-maker's life and so the wand-maker crafted Octavus a wand as a gift. This isn't just any wand, Harry. This wand was made to shape itself to be the perfect wand for whichever Potter uses it. It can only be held and used by a Potter and as soon as you grip it, it will form to be your perfect wand._

_This wand has been passed down from father to son for centuries. I had it when my dad gave it to me, and now I want you to have it. Harry, I sincerely wish that I could've been with you to hand you this wand personally and tell you how much I love you but I can't and there aren't enough words in every language combined to describe how much your mum and I love you. _

_Another thing about this wand is that it cannot be tracked for underage magic. The ministry tracks all bought wands for that but since this one isn't bought, you can do all the magic you want without getting caught. Go nuts!_

_Harry, always do what you know to be right and best for you. Be the best person you can be and stay safe. If you're anything like me you'll get into lots of trouble, just make sure you get out of it alive! We love you but we don't want to see your beautiful little face for many, many years._

_Love you always,_

_Dad_

Harry was once again teary eyed and he placed that letter in his pocket with the letter from his mother. Harry had never felt closer to his parents than he did right at that moment. It meant everything to him to be able to have those letters from his parents, to have it in their own writing that they did love him and they didn't want to leave him.

Harry pulled himself together and slowly picked up the wand. For a second, it felt foreign and awkward in his hands until it began to morph. The color stayed the same however it changed length and thickness. It also seemed to change whatever was inside the wand because the magic that Harry felt within it changed as well.

Harry gripped the wand tightly and when the wand stopped changing, he felt as though the wand was simply an extension of him. Harry put the wand box with the ring box on the pile of gold beside him and finally turned to the trunk.

He touched the lid and wondered where the lock and key was when the lid simply popped open. The inside of the trunk was clearly larger than the trunk should allow but Harry shrugged and thought, 'Magic.'

He could see a few items in the trunk; they all seemed to have some sort of tag on them, like a label. He picked up some kind of holster thing and read the label: _This is a wand holster. You place your wand in it and strap it to your forearm. If you tense a muscle in your arm, your wand should slide out into your hand. It may take a few tried to perfect it because the wand draws fast._

Harry strapped the holster to his right forearm and placed his wand in it. Harry tensed a muscle in his arm and thanks to his fast reflexes, he caught it. He had caught it awkwardly and tried again. This time, when Harry caught it, he caught it in a way that felt right.

Harry re-holstered his wand and closed the trunk; he'd finish looking through it when he got home. He looked around the vault and spotted what must be the credit card the goblin had told him about. Harry grabbed that and left the vault. He must've been in that vault for a while seeing as the goblin who had brought him there was asleep inside the cart.

Harry coughed politely and waited for the goblin to stand after it awoke. The ride back was silent as Harry contemplated everything that he had seen today.

After getting off of the cart, Harry bid the goblin a good day and exited the bank. He did his shopping quickly and even managed to get a full wardrobe of wizarding clothes, though he preferred his muggle clothes any day. Harry brought a little extra of everything that was on his list and he had somehow managed to buy the set of books for the first three years of Hogwarts.

Harry loaded all of these things in his trunk which seemed to expand on the inside with the more things he put in it. After shopping, Harry had Tom the Bartender shrink his trunk for him and add featherweight charms to it. Then, he slipped it into his other pocket and left the pub.

The street was completely deserted by this time so Harry had no time transporting himself home. He appeared over his bed and landed with a slight bounce but no sound.

Harry brushed his clothes off and lied down on his bed; he needed a moment to think about all that had happened today. Harry slipped into his meditative state and sorted through all of his memories, thoughts, and emotions of that day. It was like a rollercoaster and Harry was so caught up in his mind, he slipped into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter *prances around excitedly* is finally here! Hope you all enjoy! Remember to Review please! PM me with any questions or concerns! Let the show begin!

Huge thanks to my awesome co-writer: Tymes24! Thanks!

Chapter Three- New Relations and Shocking Truths

The following month and two weeks leading up to September first were oddly quiet. Since returning from his rather anti-climatic shopping excursion into Diagon Alley, Vernon and Dudley had been avoiding Harry like the plague. Not that Harry minded at all, but it got old really fast when one or both of them would hurry (waddle) from any room he had entered.

To Harry, the only thing that mattered was that his Aunt Petunia still treated him with kindness and loving affection, as if nothing had changed. She had been supportive of him throughout his life and he'd never be able to pay her back for that. Though he swore to send hr mind-blowing Mother's Day and Birthday gifts. She had raised him as her son, so he would send her Mother's Day gifts as well.

Today was a very special day for Harry though, it was his eleventh birthday. And while he was annoyed with Vernon's and Dudley's antics, he would rather they be scared stiff of him than trying to ruin his birthday like usual.

Today was also the day that Harry had decided to finally open the trunk that he had found in his Trust Vault. Before now he had been so engrossed with his studies that he had completely forgotten about it until today.

That morning, Harry woke up at exactly 8: 47. He rolled over onto his side and looked blearily around his room. He did a quick scan and saw that nothing had been moved or tampered with since the night before. Harry performed this scan every morning; he had since he had woken up one night when he was five, and Dudley had stolen his favorite poster. But that was when Harry's senses had still been developing, now Harry could hear anything, even while he was asleep.

Harry sat up on his bed and stretched while yawning, he glanced out of the window onto Privet Drive and saw that nothing had changed overnight, it never did. He stood up and opened his dresser. He pulled out dark grey cargo shorts, a tight plain black t-shirt, and some underclothes.

Then he walked over to his closet and shifted through the many boxes of shoes. He pulled out a box of black and grey Jordan trainers; he tucked those under his arm and then dragged the black trunk from the back of his closet.

Harry pushed that aside and reorganized his closet before closing the door again. He pushed the trunk over to his bed and then set his clothes on his bed. Harry grabbed his towel and washcloth and then walked across the hall to the bathroom.

Harry let the steam from the hot water run over his head and wake him up fully. He could tell from the different levels of snoring coming from the other rooms that all of his relatives were still asleep.

Harry got out of the shower twenty minutes later and wrapped his black towel around his waist, then hurried across the cold floor back into his room. He closed and locked the door before drying off and getting dressed. When he was done, Harry looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in approval.

Harry sat on his bed and stared at the trunk for a second. He had already had a glimpse of what it held but he didn't know the full contents. He took a deep breath and touched the lid; he heard a click and pulled the top up.

Harry once again saw the expanded insides of the trunk and the assorted items in it, all with tags on them. First, he picked up a large glossy black book that appeared to be a photo album. On the front were the words: _True_ _Family Is Not By Blood, But By Love._

Harry liked how that sounded and opened the cover. The very first picture was the same as the picture that was inside the locket that Harry hadn't taken off since he first put it on. It was his mother and father holding him as a baby, all of them waving at the camera.

Harry spent the next two hours flipping through the rather large book, looking at hundreds of pictures of his parents, his grandparents on both sides, and those two men that felt were familiar. He even saw his aunt Petunia in pictures of her and his mum as kids. There a few rare photos of a skinny black haired boy with large clothes, but he never smiled.

Harry laughed at the pictures of the results of his father's and his friend's pranks, he let a few tears fall as he saw the moving pictures of his parents' wedding. He thought that his mother was the most beautiful woman in the world in her flowing white wedding dress.

When the pictures finally ended, Harry hugged the album to his chest and he could feel the love that was put into making it. He would cherish that book always, but for now he placed it on his pillow and turned to the other items.

He saw old textbooks that were slightly different than his; he made a mental note to find new spells in those books. He picked up a small box and inside was the same rings he had seen in his parents' wedding photos, their wedding rings. Harry made sure those were secured and then placed then next to the photo album.

Harry found other items such as a sneakoscope, a few books on how to get a mastery in a certain subject, he found a slip of paper that had the instructions on how to recall all of his stolen and lost items back to his vault, and then he found his parents' wands.

Harry had assumed that they had been buried with their wand and Harry made a mental note to find out where their graves were so he could visit them. He held them both and felt that he had a better match with his mother's wand than his father's. Harry felt that he would be honoring his parents' memory by using his mother's wand as a secondary wand so he set that aside and replaced his father's wand in the trunk.

At the very bottom of the trunk, Harry found another book. This one had no title or pictures on its cover. In fact, it had a lock like some diaries had on them. Harry touched the lock but it didn't unlocked.

"Alohamora!" Harry cast. The lock glowed and settled but it did not unlock. Harry grew frustrated and placed it back in the trunk. He had no idea why he wanted to open that book so bad but he knew that it was very important, as if his life depended on it.

Harry carefully placed everything back into the trunk except for his mother's wand and the photo album. He tucked the album under his pillow and patted it.

He made sure that his wand was strapped to his right arm, nicely visible in case his uncle got any ideas, and then Harry headed downstairs for breakfast. As he entered the kitchen, he walked over to his Aunt Petunia and pecked her on the cheek before taking over cooking the bacon and eggs.

Harry could see that Aunt Petunia looked tired and she had already finished the pancakes and sausages so he made her sit down and handed her a steaming mug of coffee. Aunt Petunia shot Harry a grateful look while Dudley was glaring at Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes, 'He should have noticed that his mother was about to fall asleep onto the stove. If he actually cared about anything other than food than he wouldn't have to glare at me when his mother is grateful for something I did.' He thought to himself.

Harry finished breakfast just as Vernon came downstairs and sat at the table. The corners of Harry's mouth quirked up a bit as he saw Vernon redden at the sight of his wand on his arm. Vernon said nothing but it was obvious that he wanted to. Harry decided to not give his uncle a heart attack so he made a plate for Aunt Petunia first, and then Vernon, and then Dudley, before making his own plate and sitting down.

Breakfast was oddly silent but Harry kept a careful eye on Aunt Petunia who looked pale and drawn. He worried about her and could see that he was the only person in the house that noticed that something was wrong with her.

After breakfast, Vernon ruffled Dudley's hair and skipped saying goodbye to his own wife. Harry glared at Vernon's retreating back and smirked when he saw the large man shudder; serves him right for ignoring his wife.

"Come one Aunt Petunia, you're obviously getting sick so you'll need to stay in bed until you get better." Harry said. His tone left no room for arguments so Aunt Petunia let Harry march her upstairs and into bed.

Harry tucked her into bed and ran into their private bathroom to get the thermometer. He came back in the room and took her temperature; it read 102.2.

"Coughing, running nose, sneezing, a temperature, well Aunt Petunia, you have a cold." Harry listed. He had studied medical care as a personal study since it interested him but he had so many more options now that he knew about spells and potions. That reminded him that he had to go to Diagon Alley today.

Aunt Petunia groaned and Harry chuckled, he went back into their bathroom and got out the cold medicine. A Pepper-Up Potion would be quicker but unfortunately potions didn't work on muggles.

Harry fed the medicine to Aunt Petunia and made sure she had a glass of water on the nightstand.

"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia but I have to go to Diagon Alley for a little while, I'll be back to make you homemade chicken soup but until then I'll have Dudley check up on you okay?" Harry asked. He wouldn't ask so much as force Dudley to check up on his mom. Harry didn't understand why Dudley didn't care about his mother more; if Harry still had his mom he would do anything for her, no matter what.

The medicine was kicking in and making Aunt Petunia drowsy so she simply nodded and slipped off into sleep. Harry watched for a minute before nodded to himself and going into his room down the hall.

Inside his room he kept on his outfit but threw on an open-front everyday robe. It covered his wand but he still had easy access to it in the holster. Harry made sure he had his Gringotts card and then left the room.

He walked downstairs and predictably found Dudley in front of the TV stuffing his face with two large bags of crisps, even though he just had breakfast less than ten minutes ago. Harry stepped in front of the television and saw Dudley's face scrunch up in anger.

"Move, Freak!" Dudley roared. Harry grinned and stood there until Dudley looked up at his face, when he did Harry's smile disappeared and he suddenly appeared exceedingly intimidating.

"I'm going into my world for a few hours, you're mother is sick so you had better keep the noise down. You will check on her every twenty minutes and get her anything she needs; you will not leave this house until I come back unless Aunt Petunia asks you to get something from the store, which you will get." Harry ordered, his voice was so steely and stern that Dudley didn't even contemplate disobeying.

"Magnus!" Harry cast, "Now I'll know if you don't do as I say. Don't fool around Dudley, you're mum needs you to take care of her now." Harry said. Dudley looked as though he was trying to solve something in his mind but he nodded seriously.

Harry shook his head and closed his eyes; he pictured behind the bar in the Leaky Cauldron and felt the tingle rise from his toes to the top of his head. He heard Dudley's gasp right before he disappeared in a ripple of air.

Harry appeared gracefully and silently behind Tom the Barman, Harry politely cleared his throat but Tom still jumped and spun around with his wand out anyway. Harry held his hands up in a surrendering gesture and Tom saw that it was him.

"Sorry about that Harry, still a bit jumpy from the war…" Tom trailed off and shook his head. Harry patted Tom's back sympathetically and walked around to the other side of the bar.

"I'm just passing through but how about a bottle of butterbeer to go?" Harry asked. Tom smiled at Harry and handed him a bottle of light brown liquid. Harry gave Tom five sickles and threw in a Galleon.

He walked away before Tom could protest at the large tip. Harry noticed that there were few people in the bar in the morning as he walked to the back door. He stood in front of the brick wall and tapped the bricks in the correct order and waited for the entrance to open.

When the archway appeared Harry looked around at the large crowds walking around the bright alley. Everyone appeared cheerful and bright today as it was sunny and warm for once. Harry couldn't help but be affected by everyone's upbeat moods and he walked with a smile to the bookstore.

As he entered, Harry felt something akin to a beep sound in his mind and knew that it was the monitoring charm he had placed on Dudley. He knew that Dudley had just checked on Aunt Petunia so he nodded and kept walking through the store.

Harry looked through the Healing section and picked up a book about the body systems and functions of every known magical creature and being. He also picked up a book on medical terms that he would need to look up, as well as a few books on healing spells and potions.

Harry placed eight books on the counter and swiped his card when asked; it totaled up to five galleons and three Knuts. Harry allowed the clerk to shrink the books for him since he couldn't reveal that he could do magic with his wand as it was supposed to have an underage tracking charm on it.

Harry decided to sit at one of the tables outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. He enjoyed the slight breeze that blew his hair around as he skimmed through one of his new books.

He saw a wonderful and useful idea in one of the books and headed to the trunk store to expand on it. Harry entered the shop and saw a burly but kind looking man behind the counter. The walls were covered with different types of packs and the shelves were filled with different types of trunks.

"How can I help you?" The man asked. His deep voice seemed naturally loud and it slightly hurt Harry's sensitive hearing.

"I need a black multiple compartment backpack for school. The first compartment for books, second for clothes, third for first aid with preserving charms and slots for vials of medi-potions, fourth for food, and the last for miscellaneous items. I want the standard list of charms like bottom-less, lightweight, damage-proof, cushioning for the potions, and security." Harry said.

The man's eyes widened the more Harry talked until his eyes appeared to almost pop out of his head. The man conjured up parchment, a quill, and a well of ink before writing down what Harry wanted.

"I would also like my Family Crest permanently on the bag, please." Harry added. This way everyone would already know not to try to steal his bag, even with the extra security charms on it.

"Sure, I'll just need an image of your family crest. The bag should take around an hour to be completed." The man said. Harry used his ring's feature that was used to seal letters on the parchment. Judging by the man's incredulous looks, he recognized Harry's crest.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Potter, I'll have your backpack done in a jiffy!" The man said. Harry nodded and left the shop. He thought that he might as well see how his accounts were doing so he headed to Gringotts.

He once again returned the Guard-Goblin's bow and entered the bank. He recognized the goblin that had led him down to his vault on his previous trip and walked up to him. Harry quickly read the goblin's nametag, something he hadn't bothered to do last time, and saw that his name was Riptooth, that was a cheerful name.

"Hello Riptooth, remember my beautiful face?" Harry asked cheerfully. Riptooth did recognize Harry and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"What can I do for you Mr. Potter?" Riptooth asked. Harry put on a mock-hurt look but grew serious.

"I would like to see how my accounts are doing since I was in the Alley anyway." Harry replied.

"Very well, follow me into my office." Harry followed Riptooth behind the long counter and down a short narrow hallway before coming to a small yet obviously expensive office.

Both took seats and Harry waited while Riptooth pulled out a large book with the Potter crest on the cover. He opened it and read through the pages before looking at Harry.

"It says here that all of your accounts are flourishing nicely under my watch, which I have to agree with. They are all acquiring an increasing amount of interest from the businesses that your family has stock in as well as businesses that your family owns. You have a total of three vaults, the Trust Vault, the main Family Vault, and the vault that your grandfather set up for your father." Riptooth explained.

"Why would my grandfather set up a completely separate vault for my father?" Harry asked.

"Forgive me for speaking ill of the dead but your father was simply too immature and naïve to handle having full access to the main vault. His spending habits and the millions of galleons he'd given to fund Dumbledore's side of the war showed your grandfather that James wasn't mature enough to handle the family money. So he set aside a separate vault with a certain amount of money. This vault was for your parents to use for themselves and you along with whatever money they gained from a job. It is almost completely depleted despite your mother's efforts to curb James's spending." Riptooth said. He almost looked pained at the loss of all that money.

Harry was inwardly shaking his head. He would've never thought that his father was like that and honestly, it disappointed him. Harry blamed his father but he also partially blamed Dumbledore. What did Dumbledore need millions of galleons for?

"Transfer everything from my father's vault to my trust vault and close it, there is no need for it now. If everything else is in order I would like to be sent bank statements from now on." Harry requested.

Riptooth gave him a queer look and shifted through the pages of the Potter book again. "According to this, your bank statements have been sent to your Keeper, which is essentially your magical guardian."

"What does a Keeper do and what happened to mine, I've never met him or her." Harry said.

"Your Keeper is Dumbledore; his job was to check on you over the years, train you to be aware of your future positions and make sure that you understood everything you would need to know in order to be Lord Potter." Riptooth said. He appeared quite upset on Harry's behalf.

"I would like him removed as my Keeper and I would like to be emancipated." Harry requested. He would look into Dumbledore's influence on his life so far but that would have to wait until later.

"I'm afraid that Gringotts doesn't handle issues like that, you would need to hire a solicitor. However, I can give you a list of reliable solicitors that you may contact and work with at your own leisure." Riptooth offered.

"That would be helpful, thank you. I need someone who would be willing to possibly take on Dumbledore in court. I need someone ruthless and cutthroat but morally and mentally sound." Harry listed. He watched in amusement as Riptooth quickly scratched out a lot of names from the list he was writing down.

After a minute, Riptooth handed Harry a large parchment with one name on it: Andromeda Black.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry about the late chapter! My computer got a virus and I just figured out how to get around it! Anyway, this is more of a transition or filler chapter. I promise the next chapter will contain Harry's meeting with Andromeda and him boarding the Hogwarts express! Enjoy/ Review!_

_P.s- Lots of praise to my amazing co-writer and friend Tymes24!_

_Last Time:_

_Riptooth finally handed Harry a large parchment with one name on it: Andromeda Black._

Chapter Four- Responses

Harry knew that he should recognize the name but he couldn't place his finger on it. He shrugged the thoughts away and looked at Riptooth.

"Thank you Riptooth. Now, do I have to be emancipated before I can receive my own bank statements or will I have to come here every month?" Harry asked.

"Actually, if you'd like I can give you the Potter book. It is quite like the book I have. It shows all of your vaults and properties. It shows the contents of every vault and any transactions that happen. It also shows the state of your properties as well as the businesses that you own or have stock in." Riptooth informed.

"That would be great; if you could give me that we'll be done here for the day." Harry said. Riptooth reached into his desk and gave Harry a surprisingly slim book. Harry opened it and groaned when he saw that he barely understood any of the words, he'd have to wait until he hired his solicitor to go over this with him.

"Thank you Riptooth, may your gold always flow." Harry said instinctively.

"Yours as well, Mr. Potter."

Harry left the office and walked down the short hallway before going to the main bank area and then leaving Gringotts. He figured that an hour had passed and during his time in the Alley he had felt several beeps in his mind to show that Dudley was checking on Aunt Petunia.

Harry walked through the still full Alley and enjoyed the weather as he came back to the Trunk Shop. He entered and was immediately greeted by the burly man with a big smile.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, just on time for your bag; I have to say that it is one of my finest. Try it on so that it can be adjusted to your size." The man said. Harry was handed the bag and could instantly tell that the bag had been made with obvious care and effort.

He slipped it on his back and sensed the man use a spell on it. Harry tensed but relaxed as he felt the backpack shrink a bit to fit him perfectly. The bag wasn't bulky or overlarge, the outside was rather small actually but the inside was expanded of course.

Harry took off the bag and admired the gleaming crest. "Thank you, I can obviously see that this was made with great effort. I shall be sending business your way for this, and here's something extra." Harry said. The bag was fifty galleons since it was specially made but Harry threw in an extra fifteen, which was big.

Harry put the bag back on his back and decided that since he had another half hour before he really needed to get back home, he might as well go through the obviously more expensive side alley called Paradise Alley.

Harry felt it was aptly names, everything about Paradise Alley screamed wealth and power. Harry ventured into many shops and acquired a large selection of formal wear and more expensive clothing than he had on his last shopping trip.

In fact, Harry bought completely new school clothes because in Paradise Alley, everything was of a better quality. He didn't know what he would do with his never worn clothes that he had gotten from Diagon Alley, but he'd most likely return them.

After making sure that his new purchases were securely packed in the clothes compartment of his new bag, Harry checked the newly bought watch he was wearing and hurried from Paradise Island and through Diagon Alley to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

He browsed through the many hanging cages that contained beautiful and even majestic owls, but none of them felt right. Harry didn't want just any owl to use; he wanted to have a familiar, the animal whose personality and abilities would be perfectly in sync with his.

Harry sighed and figured he'd just have to use an owl from the Magic Post Office, the name wasn't very creative but Harry had heard that they had a wide range of owls to choose from.

Harry nodded to the clerk and left the store. On the way to the Magical Post Office, Harry had to walk past the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Even with the rumors floating around about it, Harry wanted so badly to explore the forbidden alley and he promised himself that when he had more time he would do so.

As Harry walked past the entrance, he felt a violent tug on his core and he stopped dead in his tracks. He peered into the darkened alley but all he could see were some rundown looking shops and a few people scurrying around like rats in the dark.

He took another step away from the alley and the tug happened again, though this time it was even harder. Harry was reluctant to enter the dark alley unprepared but it seemed he wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

Harry tensed a muscle in his right arm and felt his wand slide into his hand. He discreetly cast a few charms to make himself appear older and to deter anyone from approaching him. He also pulled up the hood to his cloak and cast a distortion charm on his face and voice.

Harry took a deep breath to center himself and walked into the dark alley. Instant he walked a few steps into Knockturn Alley; he could feel and hear the difference from Diagon. Harry could literally feel the darkness that oozed from every inch of the alley and he could tell that someone had placed a spell on the alley so the noise of Diagon Alley wouldn't reach there.

The further in Harry walked, the more violent the tug was on his core. Harry roamed with magically hidden curiosity and enthusiasm, he could barely tell what any of the shops sold but he could feel so many different types of magic flowing from them all and mixing into one huge source of magic. It was so different from the slightly stifled atmosphere of Diagon Alley, where everything was Ministry Approved and regulated.

Further ahead, Harry could hear a commotion going on and while he didn't want to be caught unawares by something he could've avoided, the tug on his core was also coming from that direction.

Harry walked quicker, even with all of his heightened senses he couldn't separate so many sources of magic at once and it was making him feel vulnerable, something he hadn't felt since he was a little kid.

Harry rounded a last corner and was promptly knocked on his arse by a flying white blob. On instinct, Harry grabbed the blob gently but firmly. He expected it to still but it flailed and even scratched him a few times.

Harry held the white thing away from his now bleeding face and saw that it was a beautiful but roughed up snowy owl. What startled Harry was the fact that the owl was glaring at him with her burning amber eyes.

"Stop! Hold that wretched demon!" Harry heard a deep angry voice yell. He looked around and saw a rather dangerous looking man, wielding a dark wand running towards him and the snowy owl.

Harry looked at the owl and saw that her expression had changed. She was no longer glaring at him but almost seemed to plead with him using her eyes. Harry looked from the running man to the owl and even though her human-like expressions freaked him out, he knew he couldn't simply hand her back. Besides, this was his familiar. He could just tell.

Harry hurriedly closed his eyes and focused on being in his room. After the familiar tingling had risen, Harry and the owl disappeared, only to reappear in his room.

Harry let go of the owl and she hopped onto his pillow and seemed to make herself comfortable. Harry shook his head and his ears perked as he heard someone talking.

"-so you should really consider giving Harry a chance, Dudley. He's a good boy and I'm sure you'll get along once you hang out a bit." So it was Aunt Petunia talking to Dudley.

Harry was confused as to why she was even trying to change Dudley but if it worked, then all the better for everyone. Except maybe for Vernon, but he didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Harry canceled the multiple charms he had cast on himself and he summoned his desk chair, he was too tired to move from where he was standing. Because he had only use a little bit of power, the chair slid across the floor to him.

Harry sunk into the chair with a happy sigh and looked at the owl on his bed. She looked ruffled but otherwise unharmed. She didn't appear to be very comfortable on his bed though so Harry waved his wand and conjured a large wooden perch for her.

He tiredly smiled when she happily flew over to the perch and settled on it. Harry groaned and stood up again, he shuffled across his carpet and walked toward his bed. As he passed the owl, he gentle petted he feathers. He smiled again as she leaned into his touch.

Harry lied down on his bed and a second later, he fell asleep.

The next morning, Harry awoke and instantly tensed as he felt eyes on him. He pretended to be asleep but somehow he knew that whoever was watching him knew that he was awake.

Harry discreetly drew his wand and in less than a second, he was out of bed with his wand drawn and raised, ready to battle. He paused and groaned when he realized that the person that was staring at him was the owl he had rescued the day before.

"Why do you have to stare at me like that?" Harry asked. He was right, the owl was watching him as if he were an amusing television show.

He didn't expect an answer but the owl hooted and Harry somehow understood that it translated to something like: 'Because I can.'

"OK then. Well, that was weird; good morning to you too." Harry said sarcastically. He said this as he walked past the owl toward his dresser and so he had to dodge a large white wing. He glared at the owl and went through his dresser to find some clothes for the day.

Harry ended up pulling out black cargo shorts, a tight dark green t-shirt with a black dragon on it, and some underclothes. He walked over to his closet and pulled out the box with his favorite pair of dark green and black trainers.

Harry hurried across the hall and took a steaming hot shower to wash away the dirt and tiredness of the previous day. For some reason, Harry felt uncomfortable getting dressed in front of a girl, even if that girl was an owl, so Harry dressed in the bathroom that morning.

When he was dressed and ready for the day, Harry returned to his room and saw that everything was exactly the same as last night. He quickly did a mass cleaning spell on his room, which returned everything to its proper state and then he sat at his desk.

Harry looked around his room and decided that today he'd finally take care of business so he opened his new bag that lied on the desk and opened it. He removed the new clothes, the Healing books, and the Potter Account book from the bag.

Harry summoned his own school trunk and removed his but never worn clothes from that trunk and replaced them with his new clothes from Paradise Alley. Harry took one of the bags that the clothes had come in and shrunk that clothes from Diagon Alley before placing them in that bag setting them aside.

Then, Harry double-checked to make sure he had all of his supplies and then he removed a parchment and summoned a pack of pens from his closet. He preferred to use muggle writing tools but he didn't know whether Andromeda Black would know what muggle paper was.

Harry sat at his desk and though about what he wanted to say in his letter, he needed to convey his urgency and need for a really useful and ruthless solicitor, someone on his side only. Harry wrote a quick rough draft of the letter and scratched out a few words or added some more words before he was satisfied that he sounded mature but willing to accept help.

Harry took his time and neatly wrote out the final copy of the letter. Because he had used a muggle pen, he didn't have to wait for the ink to dry so he roll up the parchment and walked over to the owl.

"Hello girl, how about I give you a name?" Harry asked. She hooted and Harry understood, 'Fine, whatever.'

"How about Amber?" She shook her head no quickly and fiercely.

"Rose." No

"Owlita." No, and Harry got a wing to the head for that suggestion.

"How about the name Hedwig, it's in my history books. Hedwig was a woman from olden times that used to guide lost children through a dark forest but she was rather dark herself. I think it fits you perfectly." Harry suggested. He got an owlish glare but the owl nodded and was officially named Hedwig.

"Ok Hedwig, would you mind taking this letter to Andromeda Black? It is very important and I'm sure you would love to stretch your wings." Harry said, appealing to Hedwig's need. It was very clever but Hedwig saw right through it.

However, she grabbed the letter from his hands with her talons and flew out of the open window. Harry somehow knew that Hedwig would know where to go so he turned to his room and thought of what he had to do next.

"I'm going to need more room and some more stuff." Harry said. He sat on his bed and summoned a book he had bought on household charms and found one that internally expanded a room. Harry cast that and watched in awe as his room expanded.

Because his room was so large now, it looked emptier without a lot of stuff to fill the empty space. Harry closed the book and set it on his bed as he stood up. He stood in front of the empty space and conjured a large and long counter that he levitated and moved it to the far west wall. He set it down and stuck it to the wall securely before conjuring a tall stool for him to sit on.

Harry didn't bother to lengthen his carpet because this new area was going to be for his Potions work and he didn't want to explode the house if a potion reacted badly with something on the carpet.

Harry rummaged through his school trunk and removed all of his potions and healing books, equipment, and ingredients. He levitated it all over to the long counter and spread it all out before organizing it.

Harry moved to the corner nearest his new Potions area and conjured a tall cabinet with shelves in it. He made sure it had a magical and muggle lock on it. He cast preservation and stasis charms on it so that any potion that went in the cabinet would remain fresh, as if he had just brewed it.

He also made sure to cast a charm that regulated the temperature of the cabinet depending on which shelf Harry used. So he would use the top shelf for potions that needed to be stored in cool places, and then he would still be able to use the next shelf for potions that needed to be stored in warm places.

Harry stood back and admired his work before conjuring a large square cabinet that he hung on the wall next to the tall cabinet. He made sure that it was magically secure and he filled that with all of the ingredients and equipment that he wouldn't be using. Harry used the same spells on that cabinet that he had used on the first on. Both cabinets were black to go with Harry's green and black room décor.

Harry laid out the things he would use and spent the next three hours brewing potions that he was going to always keep in the medical pouch of his new bag in case he ever needed them. He brewed many potions at the same time and while he had many near explosions, Harry managed to perfectly brew them all. While he was doing this, Harry went through his Potions textbook and corrected several things that made making the potions easier.

By the time Harry had placed the potions in vials, labeled them, and placed the ones he would keep in the medical pouch of his bag, Harry was starving. It was around 11o'clock now and Harry desperately needed some food.

Harry took his time to clean his area the muggle way as he didn't want to risk ruining some of his ingredients that couldn't be touched by magic. When he was done, Harry made sure that the leftover potions were all correctly in vials and labeled before placing them on the appropriate shelves in the tall cabinet.

Next, Harry magically cleaned his clothes and took another quick shower before heading downstairs for some food. Since it was Monday morning, Vernon had already left for work and Aunt Petunia was out and about talking to neighbors if she was feeling better.

Harry entered the kitchen and surprisingly saw that Dudley wasn't stuffing his face, he seemed to be thinking about something. Harry didn't interrupt this momentous moment in Dudley's life; he simply made him some food and ate it quickly before returning to his room.

Upon entering his room, Harry instantly spotted Hedwig flying through the window with a different letter in her beak.

"Thanks girl, I knew you could do it with no problem." Harry praised as he stroked her plumage. Despite herself, Hedwig trilled happily at the praise and treatment. Harry gently removed the letter from her beak and sat on his bed. Hedwig perched gently on his shoulder, making sure not to cut him with her sharp talons and Harry opened the envelope.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I must say that I was quite surprise to receive a letter delivered by your beautiful snowy owl, she is quite clever._

Hedwig pecked Harry's ear smugly, Harry just grinned and rolled his eyes, and then continued to read the letter.

_When I read of your admittedly large and plentiful problems, I was in a bit of a situation. You have so much to get done and some of your issues would take months if not years to completely handle. It was a lot to contemplate._

By this point in the letter, Harry wasn't feeling very confident about his chances of hiring Ms. Black.

_While you seem to be very mature and responsible for your age, you also sound like a young boy who needs help. With a child of my own, I couldn't say no. So yes, I would be honored to work with you. I will enclose my floo address so that you may floo to my office anytime between 8am and 9pm. _

_Bring anything you need help with and we'll work it out together. We may discuss meeting times and payment in our meeting. I look forward to speaking with you._

_Andromeda Black_

Harry startled Hedwig when he jumped up with his fist in the air yelled, "Yes!" She hooted angrily and nipped his ear. Harry yelped and fell off of his bed onto the floor. Luckily for him, it was carpet so he wasn't harmed.

"Sorry girl, but do you know what this means?" Harry asked. Hedwig perched on her perch and continued to glare at him.

"The next few years are going to be interesting."


	5. Chapter 5

_This is the chapter that some of you were waiting for! Harry's meeting with Andromeda and Harry boarding the Hogwarts Express! I can feel your excitement! Hahaha _

_Once again, Lots of praise to my awesome co-writer and friend Tymes24! (Enthusiastic Applause) Enjoy and review!_

_P.s- I am aware that there are several mistakes in the last chapter. When I'm completely finished with this story I'll go back and correct them all but until then, you'll have to bear it!_

_Also, I have received complaints about making Harry too advanced too fast but I thought it was obvious that due to his Elf nature, that would happen. I'll try to slow him down in the future but in the end, this is my story and I'll write it the way I want. However, thanks for all of the positive constructive criticism, please continue to send them._

_Last Time:_

"_The next few years are going to be interesting."_

Chapter Five: Busy Blacks

Harry was so relieved that Andromeda had agreed to meet with him that he didn't know what to do first. He and his room were already clean and he had already packed his bag with medical supplies that he may need at any moment, so all he had to do was leave.

Looking down at his casual muggle outfit, Harry groaned and summoned his trunk to him. He rummaged through his wizarding clothes before pulling out a pair of black slacks, a black dress shirt, a dark green tie, a pair of shiny dragon-hide boots, and his new dark green cloak.

He quickly changed into this new outfit and admired himself in the mirror before summoning the Potter account book, which he stuffed into his new bag. He mentally went over everything he'd like to talk about with Ms. Black before he nodded and looked at Hedwig who was watching him with amusement.

"Don't look at me like that! This meeting is important and could change a lot. I don't know how long I'll be gone but I'll leave the window open so that you can come and go as you please." Harry said. Hedwig rolled her eyes but hooted a sarcastic 'Thanks.'

Harry held one strap of his bag in his left hand while he cast a locking charm on the door to prevent anyone from entering his room. Looking around one last time before closing his eyes and focusing on the image of the Leaky Cauldron, Harry once again disappeared in a ripple of disturbed air.

He appeared just inside the pub and mentally groaned as he saw that everyone in the pub had noticed his arrival. To avoid the mob that was sure to crowd him once the shock wore off, Harry practically ran over to the fireplace.

Grabbing a handful of green floo powder from a bowl on the fireplace's mantle, Harry through it in the empty fireplace and jumped when emerald flames burst into existence. Harry took one look over his shoulder and growled when someone yelled, "Oh look, it's Harry Potter!"

That seemed to break everyone's shock and as they rushed toward him, Harry hurriedly stepped into the expanded fireplace and said, "Black Businesses!" The last thing he saw before he was whipped away was a crowd of disappointed witches and wizards trying to catch him.

Harry could testify, with the utmost honesty, that floo travel was the worst thing he had ever experienced. Not only did he get ash and soot on his new outfit, but he had hit his elbows on various grates on the way to his destination. After banging his elbow for the sixth time, Harry figured it'd be smartest to simply tuck his elbows to his sides, clutch his bag as tightly as possible, and close his eyes to ward off the nausea.

The rapid spinning was not helping his nerves about meeting Ms. Black but there was nothing he could do. Harry was completely taken by surprise when he was unceremoniously thrown from the fireplace onto an obviously expensive black and silver carpet, soot and all.

"That was quite the entrance, though I thought you'd be more graceful Mr. Potter." said a feminine and very much amused voice. Harry's face burned as he stood up and made a futile effort to brush the soot away from his clothes.

He felt a sucking sensation surround him and looked down at his clothes before realizing that the woman had cleaned his outfit with a simple spell. Harry mentally berated himself for not doing that himself before remembering that he wasn't supposed to be able to do magic outside of school.

"If you are done with your internal conversation, we may proceed to my office." The woman said. Harry finally took the opportunity to look at the woman that was speaking to him. She was tall though she wasn't wearing heels or boots, and she had a slim figure.

Her black hair was waist-length and curly yet seemed forcibly restrained to not be wild. She had slightly tanned skin as if she spent some time outdoors and she stood with a proud yet kind posture.

Her face was smooth, not yet touched by age, and her red lips curved into an amused smile, laugh lines betrayed her professional manner. Her dark blue eyes studied him as he did the same to her, they were kind as well, inviting yet telling him that no one irked her without consequences. All in all, she seemed to be a natural beauty yet Harry could since something innately _dark_ about her. That's not to say that she was evil, but Harry had a feeling that it'd be in his best interest to stay on her good side.

"Yes, ma'am." Harry said hurriedly. Ms. Black smiled and led the way through the reception area. Harry was annoyed with himself for being so caught off guard so he hurried to take in his surroundings as he normally did.

The reception area was simple enough. A large circular room with one big window that overlooked what looked like Knockturn Alley. The reception desk was neat with papers and envelopes here and there yet no one sat at the desk. The walls were a dark grey color and the plush seats matched the black and silver carpet. Harry could smell coffee and new parchment, and the air around him seemed to suffocate him with the all-business atmosphere.

Harry followed Ms. Black through the reception area and down a wide hallway with many open doors. Harry peeked into most of them as they walked by and saw that they were either an office with people working in them, or what seemed to be rooms filled with files. Harry tried to stick his head into one of those offices but something seemed to push him back.

"Protection charms, Mr. Potter. They keep out people with no business in those rooms, it keeps our clients' files confidential and protected against tampering." Ms. Black said without turning around.

Harry ran his fingers through his blood red hair sheepishly and sank into a semi-meditative state to quickly pull himself together. For the rest of the walk to Ms. Black's office, Harry gathered his thoughts together and prepared himself to talk business.

As they came to a door at the far end of the hallway, Harry could see that Ms. Black was definitely the boss. Her office was by far the largest office in the whole building and it screamed business not pleasure. It was decorated similarly to the reception area but with more furniture, some file cabinets, and of course a large desk that sat in front of a glass wall that overlooked where Diagon and Knockturn Alley met.

"Please take a seat Mr. Potter, coffee, tea?" Ms. Black offered.

"No thanks, I'd rather just skip straight to business if you don't mind. And please, call me Harry." Harry replied.

"Then I insist you call me Andromeda. Ok, enough with the awkward and stifled atmosphere. This doesn't have to be so formal if we don't want it to be and honestly I hate meeting with stuffy old men so meeting with Harry Potter should be an interesting break." Andromeda said as she made herself a cup of coffee.

Harry was a bit taken aback by her casual attitude which was a far cry from her boss-type demeanor in the hall but he shrugged it off and relaxed in his chair.

"That's part of the problem. People look at me like some performer monkey, like I'm simply here to entertain them." Harry said softly.

"That will take time for people to see you for you, but for now, let's focus on what we can do now. Let's start with your inheritance, what do you know about that?" Andromeda asked. She pulled a legal pad from inside her desk and dipped a large eagle-feather quill into a small pot of black ink.

"My muggle guardian and aunt told me about my three vaults." Harry informed. Andromeda wrote something on her pad and then looked up at him expectantly, as if waiting for more information.

Having those dark blue eyes watching him had Harry fiddling with the sleeve of his robes. "That's all you know about your inheritance? Seriously?" Andromeda asked sharply. Harry looked up at her and nodded. She sighed and wrote down some more stuff on the pad.

"It seems we have a lot more to cover than I originally thought. Ok, let's start from the top, who is your Keeper?" Andromeda asked,

"Headmaster Dumbledore, though I didn't know that until a recent trip to Gringotts. I've never met him in person and he's never been to check up on me or contact me except for sending me directions to Diagon Alley." Harry replied.

"That is a clear violation of his duties as your Keeper and I highly doubt that your parents assigned him to be your Keeper in the first place. Have you read your parent's will yet?" Andromeda continued, not looking up from her writing.

"No, I was unaware that they had a will and I never thought to ask. They did leave me letters though, my mum mentioned that she hoped my aunt was taking good care of me," at Andromeda's questioning look, Harry hurriedly continued, "which she, she treats me as her own son." He finished honestly.

"We'll have to locate your parent's official will then. Seeing as Dumbledore has neglected his duties as your Keeper, we will have to hire a tutor or two to get you up to date on your future duties as Heir Potter and eventually, Lord Potter." Andromeda added. Harry watched her write quickly and voiced his next question.

"Duties? I know that I'll be Lord Potter, but what does that really mean?"

"As Lord Potter, you will have a seat on the Wizengamot, the wizarding parliament, and therefore would be able to vote on bills and laws, you would have a say in the government. However, because you are not only a Lord, but also a Potter and the Boy Who Lived, "she noted his grimace at the nickname, "you will have that much more power. Your family has a long history of having a lot of influence in the way or world works but since your parents were killed and you disappeared, people have turned to Dumbledore for guidance. Once we get your family name back up to where it should be people will look to you to lead our world into the next stage, no pressure." She added with a smirk.

Harry gave a sarcastic grin and rolled his eyes, which made Andromeda chuckle. This was a lot to take in but Harry needed to focus on sorting this all out first.

"You will need to know Finances and Politics, as well as all of the dirty little tricks and manipulations that all of the big political players use, people like Dumbledore, Fudge, and Lucius Malfoy." Andromeda said. Seeing Harry's confusion, she added, "We'll also add tutors for Wizarding World History and studies of the government, the latest war, who runs what, who has what kind of power, who uses bribes, who takes bribes, basically everything." Andromeda listed.

"How can I learn all of this in less than a month? Term starts on the 1st!" Harry said, panicked.

"Harry, this is going to take way more than the time we have before school starts. If you can keep up with your classes and such, then I'll be able to appeal to the School Governors to allow you to have tutors on the weekends, during breaks, and whenever you don't have a class." Was the long answer Harry got. He was beginning to understand the magnitude of problems and responsibilities he would be facing once the ball got rolling, and he was just hoping that he had Andromeda to help him along the way.

"We can move on for now. As your solicitor, it is also my job to protect you from slander and the viciousness that is the press. Our world has a particularly ruthless newspaper called the _Daily Prophet. _The editor, Mickey Grison is your typical slimy kind of person that will do anything for money and he hires people of the same mind-frame." Andromeda began. She finally stopped writing and she looked at Harry with full seriousness.

"A few years ago, Grison hired a new reporter names Rita Skeeter. No one knows how but that woman can find dirt on anybody, no matter how secret and discreet they are. She has no morals and she'll expose any ones secrets, as long as she finds something juicy enough for a well paying exposé." She stopped.

Harry could see where this was going and he gained a growing foreboding feeling rising in his stomach. It must've showed on his face as Andromeda nodded and said, "I see you understand how this can be a problem. Skeeter especially goes after the careers and names of the biggest people in our world, Dumbledore, the Minister Fudge, and even you. Your name is probably the most well known besides the Headmaster and You-Know-Who."

"I don't understand how someone as…" Harry struggled to find a non-offensive word to describe Andromeda. She waved him on.

"Alright, someone as intimidating as you can't say Voldemort." Harry finished. Instead of looking offended, Andromeda looked rather amused.

"I'm intimidating? And actually, I refer to Voldemort as You-Know-Who for the benefit of my more…. sensitive clients. I thought you of all people would have something to fear of the man who killed your parents."

"I do not fear that bastard, I hate him, but I do not fear him." Harry said fiercely. Andromeda sat back in her chair as she felt the boy's magic stir in his rising temper, he was powerful, that much was true, but he had a lot to learn.

"Fine, as I was saying, your name is one of the most well-known, and because of that, Skeeter will be around more than we would like. She will do anything to drag your name through the mud which is why I need you to do your hardest to not give her ammo."

"For famous people such as yourself, your name is property. Anybody could use your name to endorse anything they wanted. They could put your name on charities and campaigns." Andromeda tried to explain.

"But why is that a bad thing?"

"For example, someone could create a bill that called for the execution of all centaurs. At first, people wouldn't go for it, but what if they put Harry Potter's name on it? Then the whole world would get behind it…"

"Because they think I'm behind it. The whole world would think that I think it's a good idea." Harry finished. The implications for that kind of abuse were just starting to penetrate Harry's mind. Anyone could do anything as long as they put his name on it.

"And it had already begun, for years people have been making products and putting your name, face, and even your scar on it. There are whole brands of Harry Potter merchandise! But if we officially make your name your property, people would have to appeal to you and pay you to use your name. Of course, they'd have to have a contract that I will look over before you sign anything. If you would like, I can started on that as soon as you leave. Once it officially goes through, anyone that has used your name without your permission will have until you leave on the train to Hogwarts to pay you for it." Andromeda explained.

"That's wrong; people shouldn't be using my name for themselves. But, I do understand that's business. Yes, I would you to get on that as soon as you possibly can. What would happen to people who have already bought Harry Potter merchandise?" Harry asked.

Andromeda took a moment to think before saying, "Well, since the items will be…not forbidden but unofficial, they might simply disappear and be replaced with the money spent on it. That way we can be fair and profitable."

"This sounds like a lot of work, don't you have other clients to help?" Harry asked. Andromeda nodded and said, "It is more than I had originally bargained for but I'll be passing my remaining clients on to my lower solicitors in order to fully focus on you."

"Umm, excuse my asking but are you married?" Harry asked suddenly, gesturing to the ring on her finger.

"Yes, though it's not exactly what I had hoped for… but that's neither here nor there." Andromeda said softly.

"Then why does your information at Gringotts say Black instead of…" Harry trailed off.

"My married name is Tonks; I married a muggleborn wizard and was kicked out of my family for it. My sisters were torn up about it but they were forbidden to talk to me, as are the way of the Black family. Anyway, I knew that I would get tons more business from the higher end clients if I used my pureblood maiden name, instead of a muggleborn name so I used it." She explained.

Harry thought on that and shrugged, maybe he'd understand more when he got older, but for now, it was time to prioritize.

"So we know what we have to do, it's just a matter of getting it started. For now, I want you to study way ahead of the other first years so that you have more time for your Lord studies." Andromeda instructed.

"Already done, I'm between second and third year material though I have mastered some really advanced magic. It seems to simply come naturally to me." Harry replied. Andromeda studied him for a second before shrugging.

"Then that makes everything a whole lot easier for everyone, I believe this meeting is over for now but feel free to send me a letter or floo over if you have any questions or problems."  
>Harry recognized the dismissal and so he stood up and shook her hand before turning and leaving. In the still empty reception area, in mid-step, Harry returned home in a ripple of disturbed air.<p>

The next few weeks until term began were actually very relaxing on Harry once he and Andromeda had exchanged a few letters. Apparently, people were already hurrying to make payments to him, eager to be on his good side.

Harry had decided to take a break from studying for the rest of the vacation and simply enjoy himself, something he did a lot of. He traveled a lot to Diagon and Paradise Alley, taking in all of the sights, buying things he didn't need but wanted, and he actually obtained a bit of a tan. All in all, by the time September 1st rolled around, Harry was relaxed and ready to go.

That morning, Harry was up, packed, and dressed by 6:39 am though the train wouldn't leave the station until 11:00 am. And so Harry had to wait an agonizing four hours until he could leave at an acceptable time.

During that time, Harry had taken it upon himself to make breakfast and chat with his aunt until it was time to go. He had felt her sadness at his leaving and he had assured her that he would not go off and forget his second mother. He had dutifully ignored the glares he was receiving from his uncle and cousin, though Dudley's seemed a forced.

When it was time to leave, there were a lot of tears and hugs. "You had better write young man, or else, you understand?" Aunt Petunia said sadly. Harry simply hugged her once more and nodded, a bit choked up as well.

"Alright then, you go on before you miss the train then." She said, holding him out at arm's length to get one last look at him.

"Bye Aunt Petunia, I'll miss you loads but I'll remember to write, I promise." Harry said honestly. She smiled and nodded.

Harry stepped back, gave one last wave, and disappeared in his unusual way. When he opened his eyes, he was amazed at the sight that greeted him. A huge scarlet train with fluffy white steam coming from over the top of it glistened in the rare sunny day.

He admired the glossy red train until platform caught his eye. Hundreds of people, adults and children, seemed to be packed all into one space, moving about to get onto the train or say one last goodbye to their loved ones.

Harry felt a small stab of envy before he resolved it within himself. He knew his parents loved him tons and didn't want to leave him, so what did he have to be envious of? Harry shook away his thoughts and pushed through the crowd. He had no one to say goodbye to so what was the point of staying on the platform.

He was about to take a step onto the train when he heard a familiar voice say, "Not going to say goodbye Harry?"

He whirled around and looked up into the smiling face of Andromeda Black Tonks. He was shocked; he hadn't expected her to come say goodbye to him.

"I…I…I," was all Harry could stutter out. Andromeda laughed and surprised him by pulling him into a quick hug. It took him a second to focus but when he did, he hugged her back.

When they pulled away, he blushed as Andromeda fussed over him, fixing his tie and shirt collar. Though he seemed embarrassed on the outside, on the inside, Harry was beaming with warmth at the motherly gestures.

"There, now you look respectable." She said. Harry jokingly rolled his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here Andromeda, besides making sure I look respectable?"

"I came to see you off, I figured you wouldn't have anyone to do that, and I couldn't allow you to not get the full experience. I know my daughter would have been heartbroken to see everyone getting hugs from their family and not have me there to do the same." She replied kindly. Harry quickly took a deep breath to hold back the tears that threatened to leak out of his eyes and he hugged her even tighter once more.

She patted his back understandingly and pulled away to look at him, "You be good ok? Not only because you have an image to keep up but also because if you get in trouble, your aunt wouldn't receive the letter about it, I would." She threatened. Harry gulped and nodded furiously. They both paused for a second before bursting into laughter.

"Thank you Andromeda, you don't know how much this really means to me." Harry said softly. She ruffled his hair and gently guided him onto the train as the final whistle sounded.

"You go Harry, be the best at everything and send me a letter on which house you get in, okay?" she said.

"I will, I promise." Harry called as the train slowly took off. He and Andromeda waved until the train disappeared around the bend and out of sight.


End file.
